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Thursday, 9 April 2015

On Saturday we move. Finally. Last weeks were really exhausting - all this packing, cleaning, searching for new furniture, driving around, planning, and more packing and cleaning... and on top of this - work, home, cats and normal life. Sometimes I wish that day has more than 24 hours...

But it slowly comes to an end. Then will be just unpacking, cleaning, buying the rest which we didn't yet have time to buy and probably more cleaning and unpacking on top of everything. I look forward for the end of April... I hope till then life will be back to normal.

Although I almost forgot how a sewing machine looks like ;) (I didn't sew anything for at least 2 months), it's now time for two of my earlier projects to be published in:

Sunday, 22 February 2015

Long time no see... Since my last project from before Christmas I didn't have any time for sewing. In January I started working almost full time (I have Fridays free), at the beginning of the year we were searching for a car for me (as I needed one to drive to work), we also planned to move out for quite a while from where we still live and started to search for a new appartment at the beginning of the year. Car bought, appartment found and we are moving in in April (in addition, my MIL is also moving, so on top of everything what we planned, we are helping her). That's why there was no time (and no power...) for sewing for me. I know, I have Fridays free, but I use them to take care of the house a bit and weekends are spent on moving-related activities (there are more things to plan than before the wedding, LOL).

And no, I do not want to excuse myself ;) nor complain... just wanted to tell that it can be, that I will not write much untill we move and settle in new place (and that will be around end of April / beginning of May).

I'm planning to pack my sewing room in the middle of March so if I want to sew anything, it has to be done by then.

Wednesday, 31 December 2014

2014 was a very busy year for me... work, wedding and planning incomming changes for 2015 (and some major changes in my personnal life are comming, oh my...). I didn't sew much, but I'm very happy that I finished one art quilt and started another, that I started designing PP patterns again after the wedding and I've prepared 4 projects for quilting magazines.

Quilting resolutions for 2015:

- finishing second art quilt and submitting it to quilt show in Birmingham

- working on PP patterns

- preparing 2 or 3 projects for magazines

- starting working on a big quilt... I have the plan already, I just need to collect some low-volume fabrics for the background.

Last project to show in 2014 - fox bag which I've made about 2 months ago (I've submitted it to the contest, but without any luck). Matching mittens were made by amazing quilting friend of mine - Ania @ coto.patchwork :) Thank you so much, you're the best and I'm so lucky to have you :)

The bag is very simple, but the whole fun was to paint the fox. As always I used Liquitex inks:

And I finished the painting with thread sketching (outlines and details):

I would like to thank all the companies, who supported my projects in 2014 - Aurifil for the wonderful threads, Northcott Fabrics for yards and yards of Stonehenge fabrics, Robin's Patchwork and Craft Fabrics for many beautiful fabrics which they supplied me with. Thank you with all my heart!

Warm hugs for all the quilting friends - those from around here and far away, those who I've met personally (you know who you are ;) and those who I only know through blogs and emails. You make all THIS fun! Your support keeps me going and is pushing me to challenge myself and to create!

Saturday, 20 December 2014

Many many hours spend on sewing those PP patterns and finally I'm done. In the last moment before driving to Poland to visit family for Christmas (the trip starts in the middle of the night today). For next two weeks I do not plan to even get close to the sewing machine (at least that's the plan and my back needs some rest).

I used 3 blocks from Last Minute Christmas Sampler - christmas trees, deer (which I modified a bit) and the snowflake. The plan was to make a tablecloth in grey/blue/green, but I guess the batting which I used is tiny bit to thick... well, it can always be a bit thicker tablecloth or a kind of a Christmas tree skirt without a hole in the middle. Just to place the Christmas tree on it. Not sure yet, but I'm happy that I finished :)

The biggest problem I had was to make photos. The weather outside is terrible - gray, cloudy, rainy and windy. Even in the middle of the day it's too dark at home to make any good photos, besides, as I do not prepare anything for Christmas in Germany, home looks as usual as always - no Christmas decorations here. I had to make photos outside, on the grass. I assure you, that the tablecloth/table runner is flat and round. I know it doesn't really look like on this photo:

Tuesday, 16 December 2014

I just finished first from two projects for Julianna's Last Minute Christmas Sampler - the Folk Snowflake. I don't know why, but from the first moment I saw this block on Julianna's blog I though about making a kind of a door wreath/hoop with it. I bought large embroidery hoop, quilted the block and here it is. I tried to add some decor to it on the top but nothing seemed to fit, so I guess this time simplicity wins:

After I finished assembling the block, I realised that I could choose brighter coloured fabrics, but the I saw that those colors fit perfectly to the Christmas bauble with a fox which I bought last year:

Wednesday, 26 November 2014

Again lots to share, the time passes quickly by and the to-do list grows every day (the non-sewing to-do list, especially).

* First of all, I wanted to share, that I joined Instagram yesterday. Did not post any photos yet, but I admit I like the way it works and I think we will become friends :) (I lost heart to Flickr since this last major change; Instagram is so much easier to use).

User name - shapemoth. I would be grateful if you would use hashtag #shapemoth when you add photos of blocks made with my patterns :)

* My last secret projects was a gift for Robin's Patchwork fabric shop owners, as a 'Thank you' for their friendship and support. I prepared PP pattern of fat little robin and made it into a cushion. I'm working on instructions and will soon share the pattern:

In addition to the cushion, I painted a postcard with Liquitex inks (they work wonderfully on fabric as well as on paper). I used THIS tutorial. I know it's far from the one shown in the last photo of tutorial, but I'm not a watercolor painter and did my best :)

Saturday, 22 November 2014

First of all, I would like to thank all, who prepared projects for Sew Sweet QAL contest. There was a moment where I was afraid, that there will be only one project submitted, but gladly, at the end there were 13 of them - and all beautiful! You did a great job and I hope you at least a bit enjoyed sewing with my PP patterns.

Unfortunately, ther are only 3 prizes to give and Sara @ sewsweetness.com had a really tough job choosing the winners. I will not keep you waiting much longer... here they are: